Cologne Marriott Hotel 

Marriott hotels often look unremarkable from the outside and tend to have conservative interiors—dark colors, carpeting, marble bathrooms...—but they’re actually always lively, as they’re popular with conference and other groups, and are generally very clean with good service. This is also true of the Marriott Cologne, which at first glance isn’t particularly attractive, situated behind the train station, but is very centrally located (just a few minutes’ walk to the cathedral and downtown, and even closer to the Rhine or the Musical Dome (Moulin Rouge)). The value for money is right, the room size is good, and it’s quiet too. The small street in front of the hotel is traffic-calmed, like so many alleys and side streets in Cologne these days. What really stands out at the Marriott Cologne is the friendliness and efficiency of the staff: Starting with the amiable concierge, who greets you right at the entrance and asks if he can take care of your luggage or assist in any other way, to the receptionist who goes out of her way to arrange a lounge key because the room isn’t ready yet (at 11 a.m., so no surprise, of course), all the way up to the lounge on the 6th floor. This lounge offers an exquisite breakfast for Executive guests in the morning and a very good buffet in the afternoon and evening, featuring hot and (delicious) cold dishes, cheese, fruit, pastries, plenty of drinks, and is also attended to by an equally very nice and hospitable service team (3 people) who—and I’ve really only experienced this so far in the Ritz-Carlton Club Lounges in the U.S.—ask guests what they’d like to drink, serve at your table if you wish, and take the time for a little chat. The lounge even has outdoor seatings - balconies, tables and chairs, on the sunny and on the shadowy side of the 6th floor. Actually, I just wanted to grab a quick bite and then head to the gym. But instead, I stayed, let myself be pampered, and enjoyed the great view of the city and the magnificent sunset. A charming little Marriott in one of Germany’s most delightful cities—and I’m certainly not done visiting it yet. And the extra cost for the Executive Room was definitely worth it.